Safety support for brake beams



Dec. 20, 1927.

H. W. RIDGWAY" SAFETY SUPPORT FOR BRAKE BEAMS Filed May 8'. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 &

mm.- QM,

Dec. 20, 1927.

H. W. RIDGWAY SAFETY SUPPORT FOR BRAKE BEAMS Filed Maya, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwuentoz:

Patented Dec. 20, 1927.

UNITED STATES HARRY W. RIDGWAY, 01? DENVER, COLORADO.

SAFETY surron'r FOR BRAKE BEAMS.

Application filed May 8,

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a safety support for brake bean'is and more particularly to an auxlllary device for supporting brake beams in case the brake hanger or hanger support should break. 7

Railway truck brake beams are ordinarily suspended on hangers which allow them to have the necessary swinging movementtowards and from the wheels to permit the operation of the brakes. For various reasons the brake beam han ers or supports become broken and the beams are allowed to drop oiten causing seriousaccident. It is the principal object of my invention to provide an auxiliary device which will extend beneath the brake beams to catch and support them should they be allowed to drop due to breakage or other failure of the ordinary hanger or support.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a device which is amply strong to stand the strain that may be imposed upon it, which is easily applied, and which is applicable to any style of truck now commonly in use, it being understood that the auxiliary device or support may be readily attached to the trucks now commonly in use.

With the above and other-objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists in the novel details of construction, and arrangement of parts, described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, as thev now appear to me, it will be understood that such changes may be made as will fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation with parts shown in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a iragmental top plan.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of the auxiliary device supporting bracket.

F ig. 1 is a tragmental detail showing the auxiliary device supporting bracket in side elevation and the angle iron bar in vertica section; and

Fig. 5 is a detail showing a modified form or" bar.

In the drawings 1 indicates the wheels of a railway truck, 2 the truck bolster, 3 the spring plank. 4; the brake shoes, and 5 the 1926. Serial N0. 107,737.

brake beams, all of well-known and of usual 7 construction.

lily improvements consist of a bracket secured to the underside of the spring plank by means of the rivets 6 or other suitable tastenings. Thebracket comprises the horizontal portion 7 having the ofiset portion 8 which forms the shoulder 9 and the vertically extending portion 10 depending from the outer edge of the offset portion 8. The olfset portion 8 forms a space beneath the bottom of the spring plank to receive the horizontal arm 11 of an angle iron bar which extends longitudinally of the railway truck with its ends positioned beneath the brake beams as shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 2 of thedrawings. The vertical portion 12 of the angle iron bar extends parallel with the depending vertical portion 10 of the bracket and is secured thereto by neans of the bolt 13 and nut '14; as quite clearly shown in Fig. 41 of the drawings. It

.will thus be seen that my improved form of bracket is so constructed as to provide aspace for the reception of the horizontal. portion 11 of the angle iron bar and the depending portion 10 not only forms a medium for securing the angle iron bar to the bracket but at the same time acts as a brace or support for the depending or vertical portion of the bar.

The bracket is formed on its under surface with the reinforcing ribs 15 as shown more particularly in Fig. 3. As also shown in this figure the portion 7 of the bracket has the openings 16 for the rivet 6 and the portion 10 has the opening 17 for the bolt 13.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings I have shown a slightly modified form of bar adapted to be supported by the bracket. In this figure a T iron bar is shown as distinguished from the angle iron bar disclosed in the other figures of the drawings. The T iron bar includes the horizontal portion 18 and the vertical portion 19. This bar will be supported by the bracket in the same manner as described for the angle iron bar, one side of the horizontal portion 18 being received in the offset portion of the bracket with the vertically extending portion 19 engaging the vertical portion 10 of the bracket and adapted to be secured thereto.

From the above it will be seen that I have provided a novel form of bracket which may be readily connected to the ordinary spring plank of the railway truck and to which may be easily secured the bar which has its ends extending beneath the brake beams. The horizontal portion or arm of the bar extends between the top of the bracket and the bottom of the spring plank and the vertically extending arm or portion of the bar is secured to the depending vertical portion of the bracket by a single bolt. At the same time the depending vertical portion of the bracket forms a brace for the vertical arm of the bar. Should the brake hanger or hanger support break, the beams Will fall on and be supported by the bar.

VVhil-e I have only illustrated and described a singlebracket and bar it will be understood that preferably two of these will be used, one being positioned on each side of the center of the brake beams.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with the spring plank and the bra e beams of a railway car truck, a bracket secured to said spring plank, said bracket havingan'otiset portion and a depending vertical edge, the otlset portion forming aspace between the bottom of the spring plank and the upper surface of the bracket with an open edge extending at right angles to the longitudlnal center of the plank and a bar supported by said bracket,

said bar having a horizontal portion received bracket having an onset portion and a dep'ending vertical edge, the offset portion forming a space between the bottom of the spring plank and the upper surface of the bracket With an open edge extending at right angles to the longitudinal center of the plank, a bar supported by said bracket, said bar having a horizontal portion received in the offset of the bracket and a vertical portion extending parallel. with the depending vertical portion of the bracket, and means extending through the depending vertical portion of the bracket and the vertical portion of the bar for securing the bar to the bracket, the horizontal portion of th bar being engaged in the space between the bottom of the spring plank and the upper surface of the bracket by a movement longitudinally of the spring plank.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atlix my signature.

HARRY w. RIDGWAY, 

